By Joe Berk
Well, sort of by me. I came across this on the ADVRider.com forum and contacted the poster (a651) to ask if I could use it on the ExNotes blog. He graciously consented. It’s an unusual gun I had not heard of previously, it had my attention, and I thought you might enjoy reading about it. We’ve had a couple of guest pieces here on ExNotes on the Hi Power before; this adds to that database.
From a651 on ADVRider.com:
Some time ago I bought a Hi-Power off Gunbroker. Not the prettiest, but possibly the rarest Hi-Power variant in the world. Anyone care to take a guess before I go on and spill the beans?
So if you must know…it’s a Hi-Power in .30 Luger.
The magazine guy at the gun show, who has magazines for everything ever made, didn’t even know that Hi-Power magazines came in .30 Luger. Luckily, it seems to feed fine from 9mm mags as well.
But what makes this one so odd is that according to the interwebs, these pistols were made for the Italian market in 1981-1982. And then exported to the U.S. when that market showed little interest. Can’t get a definitive answer, but some sites say FN made about 5000 of them, with 1500 coming to the states, but other sites say the total production was between 1500 and 1800. That’s an absolute drop in the bucket.
Anyway, so this particular pistol has a serial number prefix of PM…. which according to FN puts production in 1980. I have yet to see another pistol with that prefix. Barrel S/N matches the frame, so it’s not a Frankenstein that someone put together. It’s got the “CAT 1086” marking behind the magwell that the importer apparently added, so who knows. Not going to stop me from shooting it.
The above intrigued me, so I poked around a bit and here’s what Google had to say:
The FN Browning Hi-Power in .30 Luger (7.65x21mm Parabellum) is a rare, collectible commercial variant of the classic semi-automatic pistol.
Overview and Origin
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- Purpose: FN Herstal introduced the .30 Luger variant primarily for European civilian markets (such as Italy and France) where laws restricted civilian ownership of standard “military” calibers like 9mm Parabellum.
- Production & Imports: Production mostly occurred in the late 1970s and early 1980s (with examples like 1981 models being well-documented). Only about 1,500 to 1,800 units were imported into the United States, making them scarce collector items.
- Markings: Many imported models feature “FN” markings on the slide or specific import stamps on the frame. Browning-marked variants are even scarcer.
Key Specifications & Characteristics
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- Caliber: .30 Luger (7.65x21mm bottlenecked cartridge), which offers mild recoil and a flatter trajectory compared to standard 9mm.
- Capacity: Typically features a standard double-stack Hi-Power magazine capacity (13+1 rounds).
- Interchangeability: The .30 Luger Hi-Power shares most architecture with the 9mm version, though finding original barrel/slide assemblies or specialized magazines can be difficult.
- Value: Used and collector market values typically range from roughly $625 to over $1,375 depending on condition, box/accessories, and whether it bears FN or Browning rollmarks.
This is very cool stuff. I always enjoy learning more about rare handguns, especially those that never quite caught on in the European police or military market and came to the US as a result. I have a Benelli B76 with a similar commercial background, which you can read about here.
Other ExNotes Hi Power posts include:
A Tale of Two Hi Powers
Art’s Browning Hi Power